US Fed pauses anew, signals cuts

WASHINGTON: The US Federal Reserve voted Wednesday to hold interest rates at a 22-year high for the third straight meeting but policymakers signaled they expect to make three rate cuts next year.

The Fed's decision to keep its key lending rate between 5.25 percent and 5.50 percent lets policymakers determine "the extent of any additional policy firming that may be appropriate," the US central bank said in a statement.